


Lieutenant-Commander Hobgoblin

by Laria124



Series: T'Pring of Star Fleet [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: But basically I had a weird dream, Fluff, I REGRET NOTHING, I was so fun, Idiots in Love, M/M, McCoy is the only one who had figured out, T'Pring is in Star Fleet, Yep that's strange, and I wrote that, and happy end, because badass T'Pring, oblivious!Spock too, olivious!Kirk, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laria124/pseuds/Laria124
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the second year of her five-years-long mission (while Kirk is trying to deal with his hopeless crush on his First), the Enterprise is ordered to pick up a Federation agent in trouble. Kirk didn't expect this agent to be a Vulcan woman.<br/>And he even less expected her to be betrother to Spock.</p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Silence filled the room. Then Kirk heard an audible gasp, and Spock exclaimed with an abnormal high-pitched tone:</i></p><p>  <i>“T’Pring?!”</i></p><p>  <i>The woman turned toward them, surprised, and all the persons presents gaped seeing her pointed ears and her so-characteristic-fringe. Jesus Christ. A Vulcan. A woman-spy-Vulcan. Who had just sworn in front of them.</i><br/><i>Seriously Kirk didn’t know what part of it was the most incredible.</i></p><p>  <i>“Spock?” said the woman with an evident disbelief.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Lieutenant-Commander Hobgoblin

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, sorry for the mistakes you would find in this text. I'm French and I don't have yet a beta-reader.
> 
> Secondly, I love T'Pring. Well at least my T'Pring who is sort of "Vulcan Black Widow". You will see ! Ow I wish Kirk call her like that one day... Ah ah ah

Jim Kirk hated this kind of mission. Seriously. Some Admiral –Peters, that was her name– had just contacted them and sent the _Enterprise_ to pick up a Star Fleet agent on a little space station. A little space station with Klinglons _and_ Romulans. High risk of a fight if they were discovered. And no, Peters didn’t want to say anything about that agent or his mission, because it was _classified_. So basically the _Enterprise_ had been just sent to jump into the lion’s den without knowing why or even for who.

 Just. Great.

 “I hate Peters”, mumbled Kirk.

 Spock, who was standing behind the Captain’s chair, raised an eyebrow:

 “You do not possess sufficient data to rationally make this affirmation, Captain”.

 Kirk rolled his eyes but smiled slightly. He knew Spock enough to have aninkling that his First Officer was teasing him. In fact, he was probably the only one on this ship able to be receptive to Spock’s dry humor. Well, maybe not the only one. There was Uhura, after all. Even after breaking up, Spock and she had remained friends.

 “Come on Spock” said Kirk with a wry smile. “You know what I mean. She had just sent us into a fightwith Klingons as if we were her flunkeys or something. It's just like ‘go do that, no questions asked even if someone fires at you’.”

 Spock made his Vulcan no-smile with his eyes and Kirk fought the urge to smile with fondness at him. It was not the moment. Okay, he had this hopeless crush on his First since… Well, a very long time. The Nadara was probably the beginning. After the story with Khan and his death and Spock beating Superman for him, well, it had become less a stupid crush and more a feeling of love, of longing. And now, in the second year of their five-year-long mission… Well, Kirk was pretty much convinced that he could not live without his damn Vulcan.

 And Kirk hoped the feeling was reciprocated. Oh, God, he hoped. After all, Spock didn’t beat someone to death for anyone. And he was single now. And they spenta lot of time together. And they were pretty close. And there was a bet between the Engineering Department and the Science Department on the time Spock would take to sleep with his Captain. And…

 “We enter in the station zone, sir”, informed Sulu.

 Anyway, it wasn’t the time for this.

 “I still hate this mission”, grumbled Kirk before raising his voice. “Stand by, Sulu. Any other orders from Peters? Like, maybe, who we have to rescue?”

 “Communication from Admiral Peters coming, sir” called Uhura at her station.

 Well, at least this woman had a good timing.

 “Put her on the main screen, Lieutenant”, declared Kirk. And then, when the face of Peters appeared: “Admiral Peters”.

 She had a sharp and pale face, as if she was just recovering from a grave illness. Furthermore, she looked concerned, and her eyes were dark. Uh. Not a good day to piss her off.

 “Captain Kirk” answered coldly the woman. “Are you at the right place?”

 “Yes, Admiral. Will you give me some information about this person who needs to be picked up? Because it'll be very difficult if we don’t know who he is and where to find him.”

 Peters squinted, but answered nevertheless:

 “She is a Star Fleet agent specialized in infiltration missions. She has been sent here to… recover important information about a Romulan force.”

 “A spy” Kirk translated quietly. “And she has been discovered.”

 Peters hesitated, then shook her head:

 “It is not sure. There is at least one Romulan who had discovered her goal, but if he is alone, she can probably handle him. But you must recover her before other Romulans begin to wonder who she is. I send you her last coordinates.”

 Kirk looked at Uhura, who nodded, then to Sulu, who said: “I have them Captain”.

 “Good. Any life signal?”

 There was a brief silence, Kirk saw, out of the corner of his eyes, that Peters tensed slightly. Then Chekov exclaimed:

 “Two signals, Keptain!”

 “Two?” repeated Kirk while Peters frowned with worry.

 “Yes Keptin. I think ze second signal is Romulan”.

 “Shit” said Kirk out loud, before contacting the Engineering. “Scotty, can you beam her?”

 “Don’t think so Captain. These two signals are too close and moving”

 “Others signals coming towards them Keptain!” said Chekov, alarmed.

 “Shit” muttered Kirk and Peters at the same time. The Captain threw a surprised glance to the Admiral, and urged in the communicator: “Scotty!”

 “If I beam her now I beam the Romulan too!” protested the Scottish man.

 “Do that”, Peters ordered abruptly. “I prefer having a Romulan prisoner than a dead agent.”

 “That’s a good philosophy” approved Kirk rising from his chair. “Scotty, beam them. Security, a team in the transporter room: I’m going too. Spock…” The Vulcan raised an eyebrow and Kirk corrected himself: “Sulu, you have the com: we leave this place as soon as the agent is on board. Spock, with me. Kirk out.”

 And he left the deck, practically flying towards the transporter room, Spock behind him. They met the Security team halfway, and when they burst into the transporter room, the white light had just begun to dissipate, revealing two people clothed in black and engaged in a ferocious fight.

 “Don't fire!” ordered Cupcake.

 They couldn’t aim: both enemies were moving too fast. The woman had a black scarf which dissimulated her face and her hair, revealing only two black eyes and a long dark braid. She had no weapon, only her gloved hands. The man was a Romulan, his face twisted by rage, and a knife in his fist. But they were striking, dodging, jumping, and fending off so fast that it was certain that neither of them was human.

 Eventually the Romulan grabbedthe scarf of the woman with a furious grin, raising his knife and shouting an insult. But before the Security team could even aim at him, the woman twisted, leaving only the scarf in the hand of the man, and punching him in the throat with so much force he fled through the room. The woman stood up straight with a snort of contempt: “Son of a bitch.”

 Someone fired at the Romulan who was rising again, and the man collapsed. Silence filled the room. Then Kirk heard an audible gasp, and Spock exclaimed with an abnormallyhigh-pitched tone:

 “ _T’Pring_?!”

 The woman turned toward them, surprised, and all the peoplepresent gaped seeing her pointed ears and her so-characteristic-fringe. Jesus Christ. A _Vulcan_. A woman-spy-Vulcan. Who had just sworn in front of them.

Seriously, Kirk didn’t know what part of it was the most incredible.

 “Spock?” said the woman with evident disbelief.

 “What are you doing here?” gaped Spock. He seemed be the more astounded of them. Jim had rarely seen him expressing so much stupefaction.

 “You know each other?” inquired Kirk.

 Spock immediately regained his composure, and the woman turned to nod polity atKirk, her face relaxed in a way which could have almost been a grateful smile: “Yes. I thank you for your help. I am Lieutenant-Commander T’Pring of Star Fleet Intelligence.”

 “Well, you’re welcome”, smiled Kirk before dismissing the security team. “I am Captain Kirk of the _USS Enterprise_. Welcome aboard.”

 T’Pring glanced from Kirk to Spock, then to Kirk again, and seemed thoughtful.  “I see.”

 Kirk didn’t know what there was to see, but he nodded, and turned to the communicator in order to contact Sulu: “Kirk here. We have her and she is safe.”

 “Glad to hear that Captain”, said Sulu. “We are leaving this place at Warp 5. Peters ordered to take care of her agent until her next communication. And Dr. McCoy wants you to bring her for a check-up.”

 “Understood. We're going to Sickbay. Kirk out.” The Captain turned toward the Vulcans, who were glaring at each other. He audibly cleared his throat.

 “So. Any order for the Romulan?”

 A few people of the Security were dragging him out of the transporter room. T’Pring threw him a look and shrugged her shoulders in a very human move. “He is a pirate. It would be adequate to put him in a cell. I will provide evidence of his culpability at your early convenience, Captain.”

 “Right. We’re gonna do that. And, while we're going to Sickbay, why don’t you tell me how you know Spock?”

 “This is hardly relevant Captain”, Spock said dryly. But T’Pring raised her eyebrows with an amused look.

She was more expressive than Spock, noted Kirk while he led her towards Sickbay, followed by Spock. Same size, same calm expression, same pointed ears and same funny eyebrows. But she was thinner, more graceful, and her features showed a great loveliness. She seemed slightly more… Well, not more kind (because, hey, Vulcan here!), but more expressive, more open. And she was very feminine. Not pretty like Carol Marcus, or sexy like Uhura, but beautiful, gorgeous, like Spock.

Wait, what?

 He cleared his throat again, and smiled: “Well, I’m sorry I haven’t saidthat before, but it is nice to meet you, Lieutenant-Commander. I have never heard a Vulcan swear before.”

 He noted that Spock, who was walking slightly behind T’Pring, threw her a brief look. Oh. So Spock hadn’t heard a Vulcan swear before either. Funny.

 “I left Vulcan at the age of nine” explained T’Pring. “I was raised on Earth. Although I do value the teaching of Surak and the way of my people, I have also learned to adapt myself to more expressive beings.”

 “Like humans”.

 “Yes”, agreed T’Pring. “Or Romulans.”

 “You have a great punch by the way” smiled Kirk. “I would love to do that.”

 “I thank you. I do take pride in my way to punch Romulans.”

 And yes, she was almost smiling with amusement. Kirk chuckled. Oh, he liked her already. Then he threw Spock a look, who didn’t seem very happy (he had the same expression which he had wornthe day Ensign Reggil set the lab on fire), and decided to change the subject.

 “So”, said Kirk when they entered into the turbolift and he selected the level ofSickbay. “Do you know each other well, Spock and you? I haven’t met a lot of Vulcans in Star Fleet.”

 “Our families were acquainted”, Spock said briefly.

 “Childhood friends?”

 “Not exactly, Captain” rectified T’Pring with another almost-smile.

 Now Kirk was really curious. “Then what? I would like to know. Unless this question is invasive for you and in this case, I'm sorry.”

 “This is unnecessary Captain” said Spock. And Kirk really had the funny felling that Spock didn’t want to share this information. Like, _really_ didn’t want to. Was it embarrassing, or…?

 “We share a bond”, T’Pring replied quietly. “I believe that in Standard, our status can be described as betrothed, as it is not yet a marital bond.”

 The turbolift stopped. And then Kirk’s jaw fell on the fucking floor.

 “… Excuse me? You two are _engaged_?”

 Spock was standing so tense that Jim could see the muscle of his jaw clenching. But T’Pring remained perfectly calm, despite her slightly annoyed tone, as she went out of the turbolift. “For humans, our bond can be seen as one of these, yes.”

 “Jesus Christ” muttered Kirk while following her.

 “It is a custom among Vulcans, Captain,” Spock said quickly, “to have a pre-marital bond existing between two children.”

 “Wait, _children_?”

 “Now your query becomes invasive”, informed T’Pring with a dry tone.

 “Well. Okay. I'm sorry.”

 “Apologies accepted.”

 They arrived at Sickbay before Kirk could really process the whole thing of Spock-engaged-to-a-badass-Vulcan-woman-who-swore. Because, seriously, he doubted he could one day process _that_. What the hell?!

 “Hey Bones!” he said nevertheless cheerfully while entering Sickbay. “I have brought you Lieutenant-Commander T’Pring. Say hi.”

 The look on Bones’ face when he saw T’Pring was priceless. He gaped like a fish, his eyes aswide as saucers.

 “You are Vulcan?!”

 T’Pring raised an eyebrow: “I believe it is evident.”

 “Yeah” hesitated Bones. “Totally. I was just surprised because, um, the whole endangered species thing…”

 T’Pring’s face darkened, and Bones quickly changed the subject: “Well, it's not my job to question you about this; I'm a doctor not a damn Admiral. So, follow me. Any injuries?”

 The doors of Sickbay closed behind them, and Spock and Kirk ended up alone in the corridor. There was an awkward silence. Then Jim swallowed and managed a forced smile towards Spock.

 “So. You're engaged.”

“This assessment, however not totally accurate, is not incorrect.” Spock was standing perfectly straight and still, hands clasped in his back, face perfectly blank. Jim wondered briefly who, between them, was the most ill-at-ease.

“Okay. Well, that's unexpected.”

It was also staggering, and not good at all for him. Because Spock was _engaged_. To a Vulcan. A totally cool and gorgeous and dangerous Vulcan woman. A pointy-eared Lara Croft (with more clothes than the actual video game heroine, yeah). So… Well. So much for his crush.

Somewhere in his head Jim wanted to hit something very, very badly, and maybe cry a little.

“And, um… Since when?”

“We were seven.”

“Wow.” That was really young. “It’s very young. Is it… An arranged marriage?”

Spock hesitated, but then the doors of Sickbay opened to let a nurse out and they heard a bit of conversation between T’Pring and McCoy:

“… I am the doctor here, God damnit…”

“… Perfectly functional and…”

“Functional my ass! I swear…”

Then the doors closed and Kirk fought back a laugh. Oh, he absolutely wanted to hear that. On tiptoe, followed by a bored glance from Spock, he opened the doors again and slipped into Bones’ domain. T’Pring, a stubborn expression on her face, was stranding up in front of McCoy, who was aggressively shaking a hypospray under the Vulcan’s nose.

“I am in no need of a full battery of test, doctor”, T’Pring said coldly.

“I'm the one who decides if you need these tests or not! I'm a damn doctor!”

“You are a not my regular doctor, hence the invalidity of your statement. Now I would advise you to take this hypospray away from me before your movements really begin to annoy me.”

Well, visibly it had escaladed quickly between these two. Jim leaned against the wall and regretted he hadn’t any popcorn.

“Now listen to me, you green-blooded female hobgoblin!” Bones shouted eventually..

T’Pring crossed her arms and snorted: “I am presently listening to you and I do find it annoying, you red-blooded male dwarf.”

Silence.

McCoy opened his mouth and… No sound came out. He just starred at her with wide eyes, nearly dropping his hypospray. Jim burst out laughing and came to his friend, taking the hypo from him and giving him little slaps on his back.

“Breathe, Bones, breathe!”

God, she had broken his doctor.

“Did you hear that?” choked Bones. “She… She said… _Dwarf_!”

Ah, maybe not.

“It’s okay, Bones, really”, said Jim, trying very hard to not laugh and utterly failing. “Oh, Jesus, your face was priceless. T’Pring, thatwas amazing. No wonder you are engaged to Spock.”

“ _What_?!” squealed Bones.

Ah, yeah. He didn’t know. Well, now he did. T’Pring raised her eyebrows, seeming genuinely surprised.

“I fail to see the connection between the pigmentation of Doctor McCoy’s hemoglobin and the bond between Spock and myself. However, I thank you for the compliment.”

Jim was now laughing so hard he nearly fell on the floor. A part of the hilarity was probably due to all the stress he was now releasing, about the responsibility of being Captain, the totally stupid thing of being in love with his First, and the news of the aforesaid First being betrothed, which kind of sucked.

Eventually he regained his composure, wiping away tears of laugher and trying to find his breath. Bones was looking at him in a funny way, and T’Pring had raised an eyebrow, but her eyes were sincerely amused;

“Wow”, Jim managed to say. “Sorry. I hadn’t laughed like that since… Sorry. But your _face_ , Bones! You should have seen yourself!”

“Believe me, I've never meet a Vulcan who can actually joke” snorted Bones to defend himself. “I still don’t totally believe it even now.”

“Humans are often surprised to discover that I have a sense of humor”, replied T’Pring.

“Well, humor is not logical.”

 “It is logical to adapt myself to social beings who are at ease with the use of humor”, countered T’Pring.

“You're adapting too well, I don’t think I could stand this”, muttered Bones. “And what is this thing about you and Spock? I think I'd misheard.”

“Well, actually…”

“ _Please_ tell me I have misheard”.

T’Pring frowned without totally understanding the dramatic tone of McCoy and the sudden gravity of Kirk, but before one of them could answer, a familiar voice said:

“Captain.”

Bones and Kirk jumped at the sound of Spock’s voice, but T’Pring didn’t move. His betrothed was stranding near the door, hands behind his back, face blank. Since when was Spock here?

“Yes, Spock?” answered Kirk.

“Ensign Jones had prepared Lieutenant-Commander’s quarters.”

“I’m gonna show her the way” announced Kirk. “Gallantry and all. And because she had called Bones a _dwarf_. I'll remember it forever.”

“Get the hell out of my Sickbay, both of you” growled the doctor.

So Spock, T’Pring, and Kirk were kickedout of Sickbay, into the corridor, where an Ensign was nervously waiting for their guest. After asking Jones where T’Pring’s quarters were, Kirk beganto lead the way, asking over his shoulder:

“Coming with us, Spock?”

“I will not, Captain”, his First answered stiffly.“I will go back to the bridge.”

Kirk was surprised. T’Pring and Spock were engaged. Surely they should be waiting for an occasion to be together. Maybe Spock wished to be alone with T’Pring, without his Captain?

It was comprehensible. But Jim had already offered to guide T’Pring, and it would be rude to retract his offer. So he simply smiled blankly:

“Okay then. I'll come in less than an hour. You have the com.”

“Captain”, nodded Spock. And he left.

Weird.

He leadT’Pring into the Enterprise in silence during a few minutes, then Jim thought it was becoming awkward, and eventually said:

“I know it is classified but… Have you fulfilled your mission?”

“Yes”, T’Pring answered briefly.

“Well, that’s good. And you’re not even injured. Total success. Peters was worried, you know.”

T’Pring glanced at him. Jim smiled with kindness: “She cares for you, I think.”

“I think so, myself”, T’Pring agreed softly.“Helen Peters is… A friend.”

“I thought Vulcans didn’thave friends”, teased Kirk.

But T’Pring remained serious. “Because there is no equivalent in Vulcan language for the word ‘friend’, outsiders think we do not know what this word means. This is untrue.”

“What's the Vulcan word for the relationship between you and Admiral Peters?” inquired Kirk.

T’Pring looked at him from head to toes, as if she was wondering whetherhe was worthy of her answer. Kirk was beginning to think she wouldn’t talk, when she said slowly: “ _T’ham’ekah_.”

Kirk frowned, slowing his pace, and finally said: “In Standard, there's no word for this. A friend who's also a parent, a life-long tutor.”

T’Pring looked at him with surprise: “You speak Vulcan.”

“My accent is horrible and I still can’t pronounce Vulcan’s weird family names”, smiled Kirk. “But I heard it was very difficult when I was in my second year at the Academy, so… I tookthe class.”

“Because it was difficult?” T’Pring frowned slightly. “Most illogical.”

“I like challenges”, grinned Kirk.

“Not very logical either but more comprehensible” concealed T’Pring with an almost smile. “Do you have a _ T’ham’ekah _too, Captain?”

Kirk paused.

“I had. He was Christopher Pike.”

T’Pring stared at him, then she respectfully bowed her head: “I grieve with thee.”

God. She was just… Great. Calm and smart and open-minded and with an actual sense of humor… It could have been so much easier if she had been a bitch. Kirk mentally sighed. If she had been a bitch, he could have hated her for stealing Spock, and he could have been angry and accused her of all fault. But… She wasn’t a bitch. She was someone he could be friends with.

“Here we are” Kirk said when he stopped in front of a door. “Your quarter. The locking-code is beta-four-theta-nine-one-one-zero-epsilon.”

The door opened and Kirk, followed by T’Pring, stepped inside. It was a standard cabin, like every cabin of one of the crew. A small bedroom separated from the main room by a bulkhead, a desk with a computer, a chair, a cupboard, a small table.

“There're clothes and layers in the cupboard”, pointed Kirk. “If you're not tired, I’m gonna show you the dining room, the recreation room and the common bathroom. I know Vulcans value their privacy so don’t worry, the bathroom has individual stalls.”

So he showed her the Enterprise. They continued to speak about xenolinguistics, then about the ship (because Kirk loved his ship). T’Pring showed a great interest in engineering, and Kirk thought she was going to like Scotty. He learned she knew eightlanguages, had adiploma in piloting and in three areas of mechanics, and that she couldswim. She was also a computer hacker (a useful skill for someone who tried to discover secrets of enemies’ species), was the top of her survival skills class, and practiced a lot of martial arts: karate, kung-fu, boxing, two Romulan styles of fighting, and no less than all the four hand-to-hand arts of combat from Vulcan.

“And I bet you play chess” teased Jim on the way back to her cabin.

“Actually, I do not”.

“Really?” blinked Kirk. “It is a very logical game.”

“I do know how to play, if this was your query. However, I favor Go. It is a strategic game coming from China.”

“Oh, I know it!” exclaimed Kirk. “Bones and I played it at the Academy. We were pretty good.”

“Indeed?” T’Pring seemed pleased. “Maybe we could play, Captain, if it does not disturb your duties.”

“I would be happy to play Go again”, smiled Kirk.

They stopped in front of T’Pring’s door, and Kirk nodded with a grin: “Well, I have to leave you. My crew is waiting for me. But it has been a pleasure.”

“I myself harbor an identical sentiment” replied T’Pring with another almost-smile.

It was definitive: he couldn’t hate her. She was too much… Like Spock. Yeah, a lot like Spock. She was lovely on her own Vulcan way (but no chance he’d saythat to her face, through).

Shit.

 

**oOoOoOo**

 

T’Pring opened her eyes when the communicator of her door buzzed. Her internal clock was telling her it was 2010. She had begunher meditation at 1600, after having written a report she had sent to Admiral Peters, and a testimony charging the Romulan prisoner with charges of piracy, attacks against Federations members, violence in Neutral Zone and –the cherry on the cake– obstruction of a Federation agent’s investigations.

A mail from Kirk had informed her that Peters wanted her back. The _Enterprise_ was heading for a point of meeting with the _USS Traveler_ , onboard of which T’Pring would be beamed. The journey would likely take three days.

She had sufficient rest, and she stood up, ordering: “Computer, open the door.”

The door opened, revealing Spock. She offered him the _Ta’al_ , and saluted him in their native language: “ _Na’shaya_ , Spock. _Sanu svi-tor_.” Or ‘Greetings, Spock. Please come in.’

“ _Na’shaya_ , T’Pring”, Spock replied quietlywhile entering her cabin.

She had no meditating dress to wear for her meditation, so she was wearing her own uniform of Star Fleet Intelligence. There were tight pants and a long-sleeved top, both black, with a black and silver jacket. While meditating, she had been barefoot. Her boots were leaned against her desk.

Spock explained politely: “My shift has ended two point nine minutes ago. The Captain had insisted that I should ‘keep you company’. Do you wish for me to leave you alone?”

“You are attempting to run away” stated T’Pring matter-of-factly.

Spock stiffened: “I am not.”

“You are”, T’Pring countered softly. “You had not contacted me for twenty point nine years, even knowing of my enlistment in Star Fleet. You had also chosen to enlist yourself at the American Star Fleet base, refusing to join the English base where my mother was proposing to offer you her guidance.”

Spock became more tense but didn’t deny it. T’Pring sighed.

“It is not logical to run away at the present time, Spock. There are so few of us in the universe… You can not avoid me forever.”

They stood, facing each other, their eyes locked as if they could read the thoughts of the other. Eventually Spock declared:

 “Your _kloshai _ is different.” Her behavior, her way of acting.

 T’Pring only raised an eyebrow, but accepted the change of subject. At least Spock wasn’t trying to fly again.

 “I was nine when my parents left Vulcan with me to live on Earth and work for Star Fleet. I was raised among human children, and I have learned the human way to be.”

 “The Human way is not respected on Vulcan.”

 “Vulcan is gone.”

 There was a brief and heavy silence between them, until T’Pring added softly: “So are my parents. And so are people I cared for. Vulcans can grieve for a loved one. But they can not mourn for a whole planet. We are feeling too deeply: we can not repress this grief.”

 “We can”, retorted Spock.

 “No”, T’Pring said in a low voice. “All our loved ones, gone. Our minds, empty of their presences… Vulcans are not able to live through solitude of the mind. We can survive and adapt, or stagnate and break. I choose my way to survive.”

 “This is not the Vulcan way.”

 “You are misplaced to tell me such a thing.”

 The temperature of the room, however high, seemed to brutally lose several degrees. Spock narrowed his eyes.

 “Please clarify.”

 T’Pring only raised an eyebrow: “You are half-human.”

 “Do you think this human heritage makes me ineptto follow the teachings of Surak?” said Spock coldly.

 “I had not said this. Do not confuse me for an _Uhr’stri_.” T’Pring’s family had never been _Uhr’stri_ , a person racist toward aliens and children of mixed race or culture. They glared at each other, then Spock tilted his head.

 “My apologies”.

 “Accepted. I am also at fault: my meaning was unclear. You survived the loss of Vulcan by creating a friendship between you and your Captain, and also most likely with other human beings. This was a very human way to act.”

 She had voluntary used the word ‘friendship’, which was vague and large, with no equivalent in the Vulcan language. Spock stiffened. T’Pring noted with interest that he did not try to deny it.

 After a brief silence, she continued: “I have leaned to deal with emotion after observing humans. Sharing them on a superficial level and controlling them is far easier than repressing the slightest feeling. I am satisfied with this way.”

“It will not be welcome among Vulcans” warned Spock.

“As will not be your ties with humans” replied T’Pring. “But, unlike you, I have no family left waiting for me. I do not intend to come back among our people.”

There was a blank, before Spock said softly: “I grieve with thee”.

“And I, with thee”, said T’Pring slowly.

The silence, this time, was calm and serene. Then T’Pring asked quietly: “Is it acceptable for you to dinewith me tonight at the dining room? Your Captain was right. I believe the right colloquialism is: ‘I could use some company’.”

“As you wish.”

So they entered in the room together, quietly. A lot of people glanced toward them, and Kirk visibly hesitated to invite them to his table (even if he was conversing with McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty), but Spock chose an empty table.

They didn’t talk, sharing their meal quietly. Kirk often threw them a look but nobody tried to join the Vulcans. T’Pring lowered her shields slightly, wanting to estimate the atmosphere of the room, and picked up a curiosity, comfort, and energy around her. No aggressive intention. Just before raising her shields again, she felt the interest of the Captain, and turned her head just in time to see him looking at them with intensity, as if he could feelthe tension between both betrothed.

“Your Captain is a very intuitive being”, T’pring said thoughtfully in Vulcan.

Spock briefly glanced toward his Captain, then nodded softly: “Indeed.”

T’Pring’s eyes flittered between Spock and Kirk, and when Jim realized this, he quickly turned his attention to his food, embarrassed. T’Pring frowned. This was interesting.

When she and Spock had finished their meal, however, Kirk hurried and caught up with them in the corridor, a large grin on his face: “So, T’Pring! How are you?”

T’Pring blinked, confused. After all, she had been seen by the Captain few hours ago. “I am adequate, Captain.”

“Great. I was wondering if you'd like to see the Engineering. But I don’t want to disturb your reunion.”

Curious. Because it seemed to be exactly what Kirk wanted: disturb their reunion. She raised an eyebrow, but Spock answered: “I am needed in the Science Department, I apologize.”

Kirk blinked, seemed surprised by this flight of his First, and T’Pring understood his goal. He wanted to observe both Vulcans to learn more about their bond and their actual relationship. Spock’s reaction, however, was unexpected. He hadn’t told T’Pring he had such pressing obligations. Was he trying to avoid the Captain? Why?

Well. It was a good occasion to know the Captain, and T’Pring took a step forward: “Fortunately I am not. I would gladly accompany you, Captain.”

Even with her shields raised, T’Pring could feel the disapprobation radiating from Spock. An interesting reaction. Would Spock have rather them both avoiding the Captain? If it was the right deduction, the purpose of his actions was probably he did not want Kirk to know too much about the bond… T’Pring noted this information for later.

Jim visibly didn’t care, as he smiled at her and lead the way towards the Engineering, talking cheerfully about the Enterprise and a man named Scotty. Spock watched them go, frowning slightly .

T’Pring simply wanted to have a better understanding of James Kirk, but she quickly became fascinated. He was brilliant. He was obviously a very tactile being, but he respectfully let T’Pring have a space around her. He knew more alien languages than her: nine, no less. And when T’Pring and Scotty (who was a loud but interesting individual) debated about the compared virtue of two kinds of transporter, he followed the conversation without any difficulty, and put forward very pertinent arguments.

No wonder that Spock had a strong bond with Kirk. The man was fascinating. And she told him so while they were coming back to her quarters.

“You are a fascinating being.”

Jim chuckled, sticking his hand in his hair in an awkward gesture: “Well, that’s a big compliment. Thanks.”

“Merely a statement of fact. I can easily understand why Spock cares about you.”

Kirk threw her an awkward look, and T’Pring tilted her head, confused: “You two are friends. Are you not?”

“Yes”, eventually smiled Kirk. “We're friends. Even if this word doesn’t exist in Vulcan.”

“I do not know sufficiently your relationship to give you the accurate word”, T’Pring almost-smiled. “However, I am… Glad to see that Spock has come in termswith his emotion. Friendship is something worth beingfelt.”

“Yeah, I know”, Kirk laughed softly.“You care for him, too. Don’t you?”

T’Pring examined the question before she replied: “I do. We had never been close, however our bond induces a connection between us. It would pain me to know that he is unhappy.”

“This is normal”, agreed Kirk. “You two are gonna be married some day.”

And Kirk could be a genius and a great actor, but the peak of grief which radiated of him with his words could not be mistaken. T’Pring mentally added this information to her precedent data, and did not show she had pick up his feeling, while she countered:

“It is not as commonplace as you seem to think. Children are bonded at a very young age, with data based on their mental compatibility. Before the bonding ceremony itself, thebetrothed do not harbor any sentiment towards each other. It is later, ‘as time goes by’ as humans say, that bonded couple become used to each other and can see feeling growing.”

“So it's an arranged marriage after all”, whispered Kirk.

“Yes”, agreed T’Pring. “My parents were both members of Star Fleet and more open-minded than some of our people. This is why Spock and I became betrothed. But we had not seen each other more than twice before today.”

“Let me say that straight” frowned Kirk. “You two are bonded because your parents don’t mind if Spock's half-human?”

“It was a logical choice and a mutual arrangement” objected T’Pring. “S'chn T'gai Spock belongs to the House of Surak, a great and noble House. And he needed a bond.”

“Needed?” repeated Kirk.

Shit. Maybe a wrong choice of word… T’Pring searched for the best way to explain this to an outsider. Speaking about _Pon Farr_ was totally out of the question. Even she, who was open to alien species, was shocked by the thought. It was a Vulcan shame: it would be not shared with stranger.

“Vulcans are telepathic beings” said T’Pring carefully while they entered the turbolift. “We can not live without bonds. Marital bond, family bond, or community bond… A marital bond, a _Kah-ka_ , is strong and steady. It is logical to lay the foundations of it at a very young age, in order to give children telepathic stability. And later, in a time of fragility… A bond is a strong anchor.”

“You said that _Spock_ needed the bond”, insisted Kirk. “Not you. There's something else, isn’t it?”

This man was too smart for his own good. Crap.

“Yes.” frowned T’Pring.

“… And?”

“It is not spoken with alien species.”

“You were saying you were open-minded!” protested Kirk.

“I do consider myself to be so. However I will not divulge the secrets of my race for your curiosity.”

Kirk grimaced, then pleaded: “Maybe you can give me a clue. I don’t want to be intrusive or anything but this story of anchor and Spock needing a bond… You had worried me. And, well, Spock's my friend. It’s normal for me to be worried about him.”

“I do not want give you information which belong to Spock. It is him who must choose to share it or not” T’Pring said simply.

Kirk sighed, and absent-mindedly rubbed the nape of his neck.

“You're right. I'ill ask him. I have a few questions for him anyway.”

Looked like Spock wouldhave a great time. T’Pring fought back a brief smile, and then she asked: “If you have no pressing duties, Captain, would you care for a game of Go?”

“Sure”, smiled Kirk.

So T’Pring and Kirk ended in the rec room with a Goban and a set of black and white stones. Kirk was a good opponent. His game was… Disconcerting. Not illogical, of course: Kirk was a very logical being, if you could take the time to study him. But he had a very original thinking.

Most fascinating.

After an hour of game, McCoy entered the rec room, a coffee in hand, and looking far more relaxed than when he had met T’Pring. However, when his eyes fell on Jim and her, he immediately frowned and went to them.

“Jim, you're a magnet to these damn hobgoblins!”

“Are you jealous, Bones?” teased Kirk while placing a stone.

T’Pring made her move, and stoletwo stones from Kirk. McCoy only snorted: “Of course not. I am just worried. If you spendtoo much time with them you will end up pointy-eared.”

“It would be aesthetically pleasing” observed T’Pring without taking her eyes off the game.

McCoy choked on his coffee, while Kirk chucked cheerfully. They resumed their game, and after a few moments –Bones was still choking weakly–, Jim glared at T’Pring's last move, then sighed.

“You are better than me. Like, two or three levels above.”

It was true. But humans liked modesty, so T’Pring merely tilted her head and replied by a positive praising: “You are a good player yourself.”

“Still. You're great.”

Bones made a disgusted noise: “Please don’t flirt with Spock’s girlfriend, kid.”

“I’m not!” exclaimed Kirk in horror.

“And the term ‘girlfriend’ is incorrect” pointed out T’Pring. “Do you give up, Captain?”

His defeat was inevitable, but Kirk shook his head: “Nah, let’s finish. And after me, you should play with Bones, he's better.”

“Indeed?” asked T’Pring with a raised eyebrow. “How surprising.”

It totally worked, and McCoy seemed to swell with indignation. Too easy.

“I’m gonna show you, you pointy-eared supposed genius!”

“I am impatient to see this, you rounded-eared supposed good player”, T’Pring replied quietly.

“Please don’t kill each other” pleaded Kirk. “It would make an awful ton of papers to write.”

“Right, right, okay” mumbled McCoy. “But she started it!”

“Bones, _how old_ are you?” asked Jim with incredulity. “Seriously… Can we talk about a neutral subject? Like… I don’t know. T’Pring, when didyou enlist in Star Fleet?”

“Thirteen point three years ago.”

“You were young”, frowned Bones. “About eighteen, right? Just on age. Are your parents in Star Fleet too?”

“They were. My father was Captain of the _USS Owl_. My mother was his Communication Officer.”

Kirk blinked, noticing the use of past tense, and made the connection. The _USS Owl_ was one of these ships sent to Vulcan when Nero had attacked the planet. It has been one of the fist ships to be destroyed. No survivors.

“Shit”, gruffly said McCoy who had just understood. “I’m sorry.”

T’Pring only nodded, then made her move and continued to corner Kirk, who grimaced. He put a stone in an attempt to escape, lostit, sighed, then resumed their conversation.

“So. Why did you choose Star Fleet Intelligence?”

“My first choice was the Engineering”, replied T’Pring. “I had also an interest in the xenolinguistic area and in piloting.”

“Peters recruited you?” guessed Kirk.

“This is correct.”

“Same for me. With Pike. Since when are you in Star Fleet Intelligence? A few years I guess…”

“Seven point five years.”

“And… Do you often fight with crazy Romulans?” grinned Kirk with a joking tone. “What do you do anyway?”

T’Pring threw him an amused look: “In the Intelligence Department, the colloquialism to answer this query is ‘I steal stuff and punch people’.”

Kirk burst out laughing, and even Bones chucked, shaking his head with disbelief. Finally Jim left his admitted his defeat, and left his seat and the Goban to Bones.

“Show her your talent, Bones!”

“I can not wait” said T’Pring in an ironic tone.

“We’re gonna see!” grumbled McCoy.

T’Pring raised an eyebrow and placed her first stone. Bones replied immediately. T’Pring counterattacked. Their game escalated quickly, black and white patterns of stones drawing a complex motif. It was far more technical and complicated than Kirk’s game.

They were deeply absorbed in their game when Spock eventually entered in the rec room. Seeing him, coming, Kirk smiled at him, then asked T’Pring politely: “Do you want report this game later?”

“Hell no!” growled Bones who was very concentrated.

“I agree with Doctor McCoy”, added T’Pring without raising her eyes from her game. “I fully intend to, as humans say, ‘mopthe floor with him’.”

“Try me”, snorted McCoy, making his move.

Kirk chucked and checked the time. It was 2200. Time to make a strategic retreat. He could probably let these two fight each other with tiny white and black stones. At least there was no hypospray involved.

“Well, it is time for me to go to sleep”, he said cheerfully. “Try to not piss each other off, please!”

They both snorted, and Kirk left still laughing. He caught Spock halfway, and friendly clasped his shoulder:

“Let them play. I’m going back to my quarters. Care for a game of chess? It’s our night.”

They played chess three nights a week. Spock seemed to relax, and nodded: “It will be acceptable, Captain.”

“Great! And we are off-duty, so it’s Jim.”

“Jim.”

“You see? You can do it.”

So they left the room, followed by a thoughtful glance from T’Pring. But she quickly turned back her attention on the game.

After a few moves, McCoy threw a look at her: “Are you really engaged to Spock?”

“Yes”, T’Pring answered levelly while taking a stone from Bones.

McCoy replied with a clever move which deprived T’Pring of a good opportunity, than carefully said:

“Look, I know a few things about Vulcan couples, the psychic bond and all. So, you and Spock, you were bonded when you were kids, and not married yet, right?”

“This is correct.” T’Pring placed a stone. McCoy narrowed his eyes and studied the game few seconds before making his own move. Good, but not sufficient. T’Pring’s next move achieved a pattern which permitted her to conquered a third of the board.

“Holy fuck” muttered Bones before saying gruffly: “Well, I was just checking. I’m a doctor, it’s my job to know if someone had a telepathic connection in his head. And I'll give you an advice: be nice to Jim, okay?”

T’Pring frowned, failing to see the connection between the two sentences, but nodded: “I intend to do so.”

They resumed their game. Seven moves later, T’Pring knew for certain she was going to win again, but that it would be a little harder than her game with Kirk.

Interesting.

 

In the meantime, Kirk and Spock walked side by side toward the Captain’s quarters. Kirk’s smile slowly faded. After a few paces, he cleared his throat and he said casually 

“I've spoken with T’Pring. She's great, by the way.”

“Indeed.”

Not gonna make that easier, um? But Kirk persisted:

“Yeah. Smart and all, and she even had humor! I can see why your parents thought you two had a mental compatibility.”

Spock slightly tensed. “You talked with her about the _Kah-ka_.”

“Yes. Was that… Indiscreet?” worried Kirk.

Spock paused, then replied stiffly: “I do not think so, if she had willingly chosen to share thatinformation with you.”

“Good. Well, she hasn’t answered the totality of my questions. Do you mind if I ask you some things? I won’t be too curious, promise. But, hey, you’re my friend, and friends tell each other if they’re gonna get married.”

Spock almost sighed, but surrendered: “I will answer your queries. Jim.”

Jim grinned. They had arrived to the turbolift, and he waited for them to be alone inside to ask:

“She had said it was a mutual arrangement for both families. Her family had an interest because you are of the House of Surak.”

“This is correct.”

“But she said your family has an interest because you _needed_ a bond. And she didn't want to tell me more about this whole ‘need’ thing. So, what is it?”

“It is not spoken to outworlders” Spock said immediately.

“Seriously?” complained Jim. “She said the same thing!”

“She was right to do so.”

Jim sighed, and the turbolift opened, letting them enter in the corridor of their quarters. As they walked towards the Captain’s quarters, he threw his Vulcan friend a look, an insisted:

“Help me there, Spock, I’m flying blind.”

“You are currently not flying in–“

“It’ an expression Spock”, said Kirk while rolling his eyes. “It means that I don’t know how to act and where I stand.”

“You are currently standing in front of your door”, Spock politely answered .

Jim threw him a dark look. This fucker was doing this on purpose. He knew this expression perfectly well. He was only trying to save time. Well, Jim was not falling for this!

As they entered in his quarters and installed the chess board, Jim started to talk again:

“So, about this bond… I know you don’t want to talk about it so I don’t expect you to explain this whole mystery to me. But if I had no answer, I’m going to make wrong assumption and freakout. So, we can play ‘Hot or cold’.”

Spock blinked: “I am not familiar with this game.”

“Nothing complicated”, Jim said cheerfully while sitting in front of the black side of the board. “I’m gonna tell you what I think, and you say ‘ _yes_ ’ if it’s true, or ‘ _no_ ’ if it’s false. If it’s close to the truth, you say ‘ _heating on_ ’, and if I’m going off the truth, you said ‘ _cooling down_ ’. Simple enough, right?”

Spock didn’t protest and instead, made his fist move, with his knight. Kirk grinned, and moved a pawn, before asking very seriously:

“When T’Pring said you needed this bond, did that mean that you could diewithout it?”

Spock paused, and then answered slowly: “It is not for certain.”

Kirk blinked, and slowly exhaledwhile his pulse increased madly. It was… It was one of the worst scenarios he had imagined. He looked absently at the board, barely registering the next move of Spock. Eventually he moved another pawn, and cleared his throat:

“But you're not dying, right? As long as you have this bond…”

“Yes.”

“And if T’Pring died? Would you be in danger? Like, you mind suddenly becoming crazy and all because the lack of anchor and…”

Jim abruptly stopped when seeing Spock loseall expression, and he widened his eyes with horror: “God, is it true?”

“No.”

Visibly, Spock had not quite grasped the whole concept of ‘ _heating_ _on_ ’ and ‘ _cooling_ _down_ ’. It was ‘ _yes_ ’ or ‘ _no_ ’ and no in-between.

“So you could live without this bond or not?” insisted Kirk.

“I could”, reluctantly admitted Spock. “Captain, are these queries really necessary?”

“It gives me emotional security. And it’s _Jim_ , for God’s sake.”

Spock raised an eyebrow but ceased his protestations. Kirk smiled with satisfaction, then summed up:

“If the bond disappears, you could continue your life. But you still need a bond. So it’s for later, then?”

Spock tensed but answered: “Yes.”

Good. It was beginning to clear up the whole thing. And it was less horrible than in Kirk’s worst scenario, where T’Pring and Spock were madly in love and couldn’t live without each other and, why not, were homophobic. Jim was bi, by the way, but homophobic people didn’t often make the difference.

Anyway, it wasn’t that bad, so, don’t panic. Not yet, at least. Kirk nodded to himself, before he resumed asking:

“Because you could have a… I don’t know, a psychic disease and a bond could protect or cure you?”

“It is not spoken to outworlders.”

“Is that a _yes_?”

“Captain” Spock said slowly.  “I do not wish pursuit this conversation.”

Whoa, kind of a big secret then. Kirk grinded his teeth, but accepted his friend’s rebuff. At least he had a clue of this not-so-mysterious-reason-to-be-bonded-when-children. While continuing their game, Kirk summed up what he already knew.

Fact number one: Spock needed this bond; T’Pring didn't. So it was either specific to Spock, orspecific to Vulcan males.

Fact number two: Spock had spoken of a _custom_ , and T’Pring had mentioned the whole Vulcan species. So it was probably specific to Vulcan males.

Fact number three: the bond was an anchor in time of great weakness of the mind, as T’Pring had implied. Weakness of mind, for Vulcan, was to have a compromised logic. Hence the big secret: it was certainly a shame for Vulcan to lose their mind.

Fact number four: this weakness was a kind of psychic disease. So Spock hadn’t it (yet) and could live without his bond to T’Pring. For the moment.

Fact number five: Spock didn’t seem in love with T’Pring. Kirk wasn’t stupid: he had noticed the awkwardness between then. So Spock was bonded to protect his lifefrom this… _Disease_ , but he didn’t like it. Probably. Very probably.

Fact number six: Spock’s life came before anything else. So, Jim, don’t be selfish and don’t break up the Vulcans. Never.

But he was feeling like he was missing something… He frowned, moving his bishop and taking a pawn off Spock. Then the missing piece clicked into place.

“Wait a second”, Kirk suddenly exclaimed , raising his head so quickly he nearly heard a vertebra crack.  “You have a betrothed but you went out with Uhura? It’s cheating!”

Spock stiffened, and Kirk suddenly remembered the Vulcan had been avoiding Uhura _all day_. And Uhura had seemed very pissed off…

“Jesus Christ. You're a cheater!”

“I am not”, said Spock with an insulted tone. “As I do not harbor any romantic feeling towards T’Pring, it was logical to seek a possible more suitable mate.”

“A mate”, repeated Kirk. So it was the word used by Vulcans… The term was kind of strange. Primal. He cleared his throat: “So you wanted a wife you could fall in love with?”

“However very simplified, this statement is correct.”

Kirk smiled. A warm feeling of hope was growing into his chest. He teased: “Let me guess: Uhura didn’t know you were engaged to another woman.”

“I assumed she knew”, frowned Spock, “as it is very rare for Vulcan male to not be bonded. I was mistaken. I do believe Nyota has understood my silence on the matter for a lie by omission.”

“Oh, fuck!” laughed Kirk. “Spock, you are in a mess. I understood why you've been avoiding her! She is going to kill you when she catches you.”

“Nyota do not possess sufficient strength to achieve this goal” Spock informed him. “And she had already, as you say, ‘ _caught me’_.”

“No kidding? How? When?”

“Vulcans do not ‘ _kid_ ’, Captain. She had entered the turbolift while I was inside and stopped it during fifteen point three minutes. It was before I entered the rec room today.”

“That sucks” sympathized Kirk. “I can totally imagine her yelling at you for fifteen whole minutes. But you two had broken up already so she couldn’t complain too much… Anyway, is it common for Vulcans to search for a ‘more suitable mate’ while they are engaged?”

“It is not frequent” concealed Spock. “But as I had told Nyota, it is not an exceptional act. Before the destruction of Vulcan, twelve point ninety-two percent of Vulcans were bonded to one other than their designed mate. It was the case of my father.”

They shared a brief silence, resuming their game. Spock had the advantage but Kirk was slowly reversing the situation. Eventually, Kirk asked almost shyly:

“So, just to get it straight… You need a bond but you would like a more suitable partner.”

“I am currently satisfied with my situation.”

“If you said so”, snorted Kirk. “But, is it really okay? For example… If you broke up with T’Pring, and bond with someone else… Would it be okay, for both of you? Theoretically speaking.”

Spock threw him an indecipherable look, then slowly answered: “It is likely.”

“Good”, sighed Jim with relief. “I want you to be happy, you know.”

Spock features seemed to soften, and his shoulders relaxed. A brief second, they shared a look, and Kirk almost opened his mouth to say something really stupid which would totally give him away, like ‘do Vulcans accept couples of same sex’ or even worse ‘may I kiss you’.

But Spock said: “It is your move, Jim.”

And the moment passed. They resumed their game, and talked about the ship, the mission, an interesting project of the Engineering Department… It was like nothing had changed. It was peaceful and familiar, and they were happy.

Later in the night, Spock left after losing the game, and softly said “Goodnight, Jim.” Kirk smiled.

“Goodnight, Spock.”

It was little. The use of a first name, quiet conversations, games of chess. It was so little. But if it was all he could have, Kirk would have it. He would have all that Spock could give to him.

 

**oOoOoOo**

 

“Computer, locate Lieutenant-Commander T’Pring” ordered Kirk. It was the end of Alpha shift, which covered the time between 0800 and 1600 hours. Because of his late game of chess with Spock, Kirk had woken up a few minutes later than usual, and had almost beenlate for Alpha shift. He hadn’t yet had any occasion to see T’Pring, and continued his investigations.

“Lieutenant-Commander T’Pring located. Currently in gym, training room number five”, answered the computer.

Kirk frowned: “Oh? With who?”

“Lieutenant Giotto, Lieutenant Jaeger, Ensign Mallory, Ensign Stevenson.”

Cupcake and few of his friends. Guessing what they were doing, Kirk grinned and hurried towards the gym. He knew Cupcake: the man enjoyed a good fight, just like him. And after seeing T’Pring punching a Romulan, of course Cupcake would be intrigued.

Kirk wasn’t disappointed: T’Pring was actually doing a little demonstration of her skill against Cupcake, Jaeger and Mallory, while Stevenson encouraged them from his seat. The security member wore their training clothes, but T’Pring had only removed her jacket. And she was beating them.

Jaeger –a slim half-human half-Orion woman, not very tall but having almost twice his strength– was already on the floor, groaning. When Kirk entered, he saw Mallory –a blond-haired Irish of seven feet tall– fly through the room, and fell hard with a grunt of pain. Cupcake was the last one: he jumped on T’Pring, intending to punch her in the guts, but the woman twisted, letting the fist past along her belly while she quickly caught Cupcake’s arm, and used her hold to send her adversary on the ground.

“Crap”, groaned Cupcake. “Okay, I surrender!”

“Fuck, it hurts” grimaced Mallory while standing up.

“I agree” laughed Jaeger who was sitting up slowly. “I will never mess with a Vulcan again.”

“Wise decision” commented T’Pring. “Are you injured?”

Jaeger shook her head, and passed a hand in her short and curly red hair. Beyond her characteristic red hair and strength, Jaeger looked almost totally human. More sensual that standard, maybe. And really tiny and cute. People didn’t really realize she was a security lieutenant before being punched by her Orion-like strength.

“Nah, I fell on the right spot and I rolled, so I didn’t even bruise. Did you do that on purpose?”

“Controlling the force and angle of my blows is an obligation, as I could easily injure you if I was using my full strength” T’Pring replied casually. Then she turned her head toward the door, and nodded: “Captain.”

Stevenson literally _jumped_ in surprise, and the three others gaped: “Captain Kirk!”

“Relax”, smiled Kirk. “I was just passing by. Had a nice fight?”

“I believe so” laughed Cupcake. “T’Pring was showing us a few tricks.”

“This lesson has been mutually beneficial”, countered T’Pring. “I do appreciate a challenging training.”

“Challenging?” repeated Cupcake. “You just broke us in two!”

“You had a great address and have been able to dodge seven of my attacks”, T’Pring pointed out.  “Lieutenant Jaeger had an impressive strength which had made my position difficult in three occasions, hence the fact I have made of her my priority adversary. Ensign Mallory possesses an advantageous size which permits him to act as a highly efficient back-up. And Ensign Stevenson used a most unexpected and intuitive style of fighting.”

“I surprised a Vulcan”, grinned Stevenson. “It doesn’t append to anybody!”

“Indeed”, almost-smiled T’Pring. “However, I apologize for your wrist, and I do advise you to report to Sickbay.”

“You're hurt?” frowned Kirk toward Stevenson.

“I surprised her by jumping behind her and she grabbed my wrist a little too hard”, grimaced Stevenson. “Nothing serious.”

“My suggestion is still valid”, insisted T’Pring.

“Yeah, do what she said”, ordered Kirk. “Lieutenant Jaeger, you are his commanding officer, right? You go with him. I’m going to Engineering, T’Pring: care to walk with me?”

“This is acceptable”, nodded the woman.

She put her jacket and her boots back on, then she followed Kirk outside the training room, after sayinggoodbye to her new acquaintances. While they walked in the corridor, Kirk grinned at her:

“They like you.”

“I find myself in a similar feeling” replied T’Pring with one of her almost-smiles. “Your crew is friendly, as humans say. They do not possess common racial prejudice against Vulcanoid species.”

“Yeah”, agreed Kirk, “but they know Spock. Nobody can hate a Vulcan after meeting Spock. And we are one of the most mixed crew of Star Fleet.”

“Indeed?”

“Yeah. There is fifteen percent of alien species among the crew: Orions, Betazoids, Andorians, Edisians, Tellarites… But there are a few hybrids. Jaeger is half-human half-Orion. There is a nurse who is half-human and half-Betazoid. In the Science Department, there is an Ensign who is Andorian and Betazoid.”

“Fascinating”, muttered T’Pring.

Kirk grinned, and they walked in silence a few minutes, before he spoke again:

“So. I talked with Spock about the bond.”

T’Pring raised an eyebrow: “Indeed?”

“Yes. He hadn’t said much, by the way, but I think I had understood the main part of the big secret. The bond…” He glanced, verifying they were alone in the corridor, but nevertheless lowering his voice: “The bond protect Vulcan males from a sort of psychic instability, and this disease could or will strike Spock in the future, hence the necessity of your bond. Am I correct?”

T’Pring glared at him forseveral seconds, her face blank. _Holy shit_. Spock had almost told an outworlder the secret of the Vulcan race. How many outwolders knew about _Pon Farr_? No more than three. No, two, now that Amanda was gone.

Well. At least Kirk didn’t know the shameful details. T’Pring shook her head in a very human gesture of disbelief, and slowly said: “He does have a great faith in you, for telling you such things.”

“So it's true”, muttered thoughtfully Kirk. “Children're bonded to be protected from this disease, isn’t it?”

“Yes”, said carefully T’Pring. “However, this ‘disease’ is referred among our people as ‘the Time’.”

“The Time?” repeated Kirk. “Si it’s not a disease, it’s a kind of cyclic illness. And Spock hasn’t had it yet. He hasn’t, right?”

“He has not”, T’Pring confirmed stiffly.

“Great. Uh, I mean, I was wondering… Spock had talked about Vulcans who seek a ‘more suitable partner’ before the wedding. Because that’s why he went out with Uhura and why she wasn’t supposed to be pissed off, and… Anyway. That’s not the point. I suppose the weeding is the moment where the _Time_ strikes and the bond is… Um, switched on?”

T’Pring blinked, barely registering the fact that Spock had visibly searched another mate. Kirk was close to discovering the truth, although his worlds were confusing. His cleverness and intelligencewere as big as his curiosity, which was slightly frightening.

“It is… Correct. The bond is fulfilled when the Time comes.”

“So, after the Time, there's no possibility of going back?” insisted Kirk.

T’Pring narrowed her eyes with slight defiance. But she answered all the same: “Breaking the bond is possible, but painful for both partners. It sometimes leads one of them, or both, to insanity or death.”

“Okay, so no going back unless you have a very shitty wife because Vulcan divorce sucks” mumbled Kirk to himself, before asking T’Pring: “But before the wedding, a bond can be broken if a Vulcan finds someone else?”

T’Pring breathed, a painful memory flashing in her head. Her shock must have been visible, because Kirk threw her a worried look: “Are you okay?”

“I am… Adequate”, T’Pring managed to say.

Still worried, Kirk looked at her, frowning slightly, before saying carefully: “If my questions are invasive…”

“They are not”, answered the woman. “But they had reminded me a person I cared for.”

Kirk’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh.”

Ashamed, T’Pring looked away. She had said too much. She opened her mouth to apologize and changed the subject, but Kirk spoke softly.

“You want to marry someone else, don’t you?”

Vulcans didn’t lie, so T’Pring didn’t answer. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kirk looking at her, compassion and kindness on his face, before he asked with hesitation: “Is he Vulcan?”

“He was”, briefly answered T’Pring. “He had not left the planet on time.”

Kirk breathed and seemed to fight the urge to touch T’Pring’s hand or arm in a comforting gesture. Instead, he only said gravely: “I grieve with thee.”

T’Pring felt her throat tightened and nodded without answering. She hadn’t spoken of Stonn to anyone since the destruction of Vulcan. With who could have she done so? Her parents were dead, and besides them, nobody knew him. By the way, they had always disapproved of Stonn’s friendship with their daughter. He was low-born, with  pure blood, but with no wealth.

They walked in silence until they reached the turbolift. Kirk waited for the doors to close before he spoke:

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken about that.”

“No offense taken.”

“Still”, insisted Kirk, “I’m sorry. I was curious about this whole ‘better match’ thing, because Spock's so secretive about that, and I hadn’t had many opportunities to grill him because he's hiding in his lab all day, which by the way is very suspicious because he isn’t a coward, and… I hadn’t thought I could hurt your feelings. I’m really sorry.”

Maybe it was because T’Pring has just been reminded of her feelings for Stonn. Or maybe because Kirk had raised a point: Spock was not a coward, he wasn’t afraid for himself, but only for the people he loved. Or maybe it was because the fact that Spock had spoken about the search of a more suitable partner, which was rare, and surprising…

But suddenly all pieces clicked into place. Spock’s flights, the advice of McCoy, Jim's innumerable questions… It made perfect sense. T’Pring widened her eyes with shock, her mouth opening slightly.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Well, at least she had the key of the mystery. And it was so evident that she couldn’t quite believe she hadn’t seen this before.

“Uh, are you okay?” asked Kirk. T’Pring realized he was looking at her strangely. She regained her composure, and nodded.

“I am adequate, Captain.”

“If you said so…” Kirk said doubtfully. “Do you still want to go to Engineering?”

“I do.”

So they went to Engineering. Scotty was busy with a ventilation shaft which was damaged and had to be replaced. T’Pring and Jim volunteered to climb all the engine rooms in order to remove the useless item (which weighed almost as much as a small car), and the Vulcan welcomed this exercise. Physical activity was often used by humans to relieve their stress, and she had appropriate this skill. This exercise would help her to organize her thoughts.

So Jim and she had a race towards the ventilation shaft, climbing on pipes and machines before reaching their goal. Kirk won, and teased her about his superior climbing skill until he nearly fell from his post, which was height point nine meters high.

T’Pring caught him just in time, using her superior strength, and Kirk thanked her with embarrassment, his cheeks reddening. And he stopped bragging like a kid.

Good.

Later, after having fixed the ventilation shaft, the Captain and the Vulcan went back down, where Scotty yelled at his Captain five whole minutes, before releasing them and getting back to his work. Jim grumbled something about the fucking chain of command which was absolutely not respected, then turned to T’Pring with a broad grin.

“Well, sorry about that.”

“There is no need to apologise.”

They walked toward the turbolift in silence, T’Pring still trying to make all her pieces of information fit together. Eventually she made her decision. A very logical decision: one she could be happy about.

When they had entered the lift and the door had closed, she turned to Jim and levelly said:

“My chosen one was named Stonn.”

Jim widened his eyes slightly, taken by surprise, but T’Pring continued nevertheless:

“He was low-born. He had no wealth. He was not a logical choice. But I would have chosen him. My choice was not based on logic, but on my own feelings. Vulcans do feel, Captain. They feel very deeply, more than any human.”

“You loved him”, Kirk said softly.

T’Pring hesitated, then answered slowly: “Yes. Yes, I did.”

Her heart rate had increased by seven percent, she mentally noted. She would have expected more. It wasn’t often that she spoke about her feelings. The trust she had in Jim Kirk seemed to offset the stress due to this experience. How interesting.

A few seconds passed in silence, then T’Pring looked straight into Kirk’s eyes:

“I wished for a mate I cared for, and not for a logical choice. I do not want to reject him before his Time. However, I deeply hope that Spock will find a person he loves.”

Jim’s face became blank as he realized the implications of T’Pring’s words. The turbolift stopped, and she went out without another word, letting Kirk process what she had said.

For the moment, she had to speak with Spock.

 

She found him in the Science lab, as expected when he wasn’t on duty. Seeing her entering the lab, Spock tensed, but still remained polite:

“T’Pring.”

“Spock. May I speak to you?”

“I am currently occupied.”

 _Bullshit_. That was what she thought. But T’Pring hadn’t reached this level of expressiveness, so she only raised an eyebrow.

“It will not take long.”

Spock was beginning to be worried. She could felt it. After all, she knew him, and she always will.

“Very well”, Spock eventually said. “We can talk here” and he lead her toward a small neighboring office. T’Pring closed the door behind them.

They glared at each other for four point two seconds before T’Pring spoke.

“You harbor romantic feelings towards your Captain.”

Spock’s face became totally blank. He didn’t move, his hands clasped behind his back and his whole body tensed. He didn’t try to deny it. Instead, he said in an inexpressive tone:

“How did you reach this conclusion?”

T’Pring snorted: “It is logical. You do not run away while being afraid for yourself, but you do while your loved ones are menaced. You left Vulcan because of your mother. You avoided the English Star Fleet base because of me. And you avoided the Captain and myself because of him. Most illogical.”

“I do not—“ begun Spock, but T’Pring interrupted him.

“However I do see this situation is not easy for you. You’re betrothed, your former partner and the one you do love on the same ship with you. How uncomfortable.”

Spock narrowed his eyes: “I do not find it humorous. How do you know about Nyota?”

“Captain Kirk mentioned a certain ‘Uhura’. I had done some research among acquaintances from the Security Department.”

She hadn’t only ‘broken them in two’. She had also done her little investigations…

“What do you intend to do?” Spock said stiffly.

T’Pring’s amusement vanished, and her face became grave.

“You feared that, would I have found your interest in your Captain, I would have rejected you and broken the bond.”

“Yes”, answered Spock after a surprised pause. “Is it not your intention?”

T’Pring tilted her head: “I do not wish for you to succumb to your Time. Therefore, I do not intendto break our bond. However, if it is your desire to bond with your Captain, I will not interfere.”

Spock’s eyes widened slightly, but otherwise his face remained blank. T’Pring raised an eyebrow, waiting. Eventually, the Science Officer softly said:

“He does not reciprocate the sentiment.”

T’Pring snorted: “Does he not? I am curious about the data on which you based your observations in order to deduce such a conclusion.”

“He has no interest in males”, enumerated Spock. "The archetype of his partner is female, smaller than him, touch-starving and having a tendency to small talk. Furthermore, he has called me ‘a friend’ in seven occasions since the beginning of our professional relationship, and it is logical to assume he does not see me otherwise.”

T’Pring carried on regardless of the fact that Spock had counted the number of times Jim had called him a friend _and_ the fact he had studied his girlfriends’ archetype. Instead, she raised an eyebrow:

“How curious. According to my own observations, Captain Kirk showed a great distress at the thought that you were engaged. He had also asked my guidance in his interrogation about the possibility for you to bond with someone else. I have been here for only two days but I already know certainty that he cares more for you than for anyone else on this ship.”

Spock blinked, and only because T’Pring knew him she could sense the fierce feeling of hope and fear growing in her betrothed. She inclined her head.

“The choice is yours to make. However, as I have experienced this pain, I give you this advice: do not waste an opportunity to bond with a person who could make you happy.”

“Vulcans do not feel happiness” Spock answered mechanically.

“They could”, replied softly T’Pring. “And you could.”

They shared a thoughtful silence. Then T’Pring inclined politely her head, and opened the door. “Please do think about this”, she said in a low voice. And she left.

 

**oOoOoOo**

 

It was 2345 hours when T’Pring, who didn’t require sleep, paused in front of the observation deck. The sliding doors were opened, but the lights were off. In the half-darkness of the dark, the only light was coming from the stars. T’Pring barely distinguished the shadow of the chairs… And the two male silhouettes facing each other in the dark.

She slowly took a step back, guessing it wasn’t any of her business, but then a familiar voice spoke and she paused.

“So, Spock. Is there a particular reason for you coming to watch the stars with me? I'm not complaining through. But you look so serious. It’s like you’re gonna tell me you want to marry Uhura tomorrow.”

There was a silence, then Kirk asked with worry: “Oh, don’t tell me you want to…”

“I do not.”

Even from her hiding place in the shadow of the corridor, nine point six meters away from them, T’Pring could feel the nervousness of Spock. She knew she was spying. She should have moved.

She didn’t.

“I do not want to marry Nyota”, continued quietly Spock. “Neither do I want to marry T’Pring.”

“Good”, breathed Kirk. “Do you want to marry someone one day?”

“… Yes.”

T’Pring heard Kirk inhale sharply, before askingcasually: “Oh?”

“However, I do not know if it will be possible.”

“Wait, what? But why?”

There was a pause, and T’Pring almost expected Spock to say ‘it is hardly relevant, Captain’ and run away _again_. If he tried, through, she would catch him and send him back inside with her special-Romulan-punch.

But Spock breathed, and said with a steady voice: “I do not know if he reciprocates my feeling.”

“If he doesn’t love you, he is an ass” Kirk replied straight away before he seemed to realize what he had just said. “Um, I mean… Wait, he is a guy? I thought you liked girls!”

“Having a preference toward gender is illogical. Vulcans are bonded according to a compatibility of mind, and minds do not have a gender.”

“… Yeah. So you are bi.”

“Indeed.”

“Same here.”

“Indeed?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

T’Pring closed her eyes with exasperation. The two were _impossible_. She almost wanted to enter the room and knock their heads together.

But Kirk cleared his throat, and even in the darkness, T’Pring could see him stiffen, as if mustering his courage.

“Spock. I’m really bad with declarations and all. But, I can’t help it here, so. You seek someone to go out with, and fall in love and all, right? So. Um. Would you freak out if I suggested that, you know, you and I, we gave this thing a try because I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, so maybe next shore leave we could go together get a drink, just you and me, and see if we are compatible and all. I don’t want to jump you, I mean jump _on_ you, God, jump _on_ you, shit it had just slipped out and _I really need to shut up now_.”

T’Pring slowly went back. She couldn’t see them anymore. But before leaving the corridor, however, she heard Spock’s quiet answer.

“I would not.”

“What?”

“I would not, as you said, ‘freak out’.”

Kirk let out a brief laugh, then there was no other word, no other sound. Maybe they were kissing. T’Pring left the corridor in silence. She was thinking of Stonn, and her heart arched. Her heart, her mind, her soul.

She wished for Kirk and Spock to be happy.

She wished she could have been happy too.

Bitterness was illogical. The ache in her chest was, too. She knew she didn’t suffer from any illness. It was an emotional pain. Also illogical. What a poor Vulcan she was. Accepting her emotions, letting them hurt her. But she couldn’t repress them. She couldn’t let go. Letting go of the pain, it was letting go of Stonn. And she couldn’t. She couldn’t lose him again: she hadn’t the strength.

She came back to her room, and meditated.

 

At morning, she woke up early. In a few hours, the _Enterprise_ would reach the meeting point with the _Traveler_. She had little time left aboard this ship and she didn’t want to waste it. Kirk was on the bridge, as was Spock, so she couldn’t speak with them.

But there was a place where she could wait for them. Or, at least, for Kirk

So she walked near the Sickbay, waiting the beginning of McCoy’s shift. Eventually he came, looking as gruff as usual, and he paused while noticing her presence.

“Lieutenant-Commander hobgoblin”, muttered Bones. “What are you doing here at this hour? It’s something like seven or…”

“It is 0658 precisely”, T'Pring corrected mechanically.

“You and your damned numbers… You hadn’t answered my question.”

T’Pring shrugged, not noticing the odd look Bones threw  her. It was weird to see this classy Vulcan woman having theses common human twitches.

“I am bored.”

“And you walk randomly instead of meditating or doing weird Vulcan voodoo?”  asked Bones with an amused tone. “Very human of you.”

“I was raised among humans, as you know”, countered T’Pring. “Do you suffer from memory troubles?”

“Pointy-eared sharp tongue”, mocked McCoy.

“Rounded-eared bad Go player”, replied T’Pring while raising an eyebrow.

“I could have won thatgame! I totally could have!”

“Indeed?”

And so T’Pring and Bones ended up in Sickbay, playing Go. Bones didn’t have patients to see, so he could concentrate on the game. Both players were very good, and the game was fascinating… At least until Kirk bust into Sickbay, a huge grin on his face:

“Bones! Guess what I… Oh, T’Pring. Well, I have duties, I’m coming back later!”

And he turned back, bursting out of Sickbay while McCoy blinked, his mouth open with surprise. T’Pring fought back a smile and placed a stone. According to Kirk’s mood, he and Spock had talked. So Spock had listened to her advice.

Good. She had all the answers she wanted.

“What the hell is going on?” said Bones with disbelief.

“It is not my place to tell you”, T'Pring quietly replied.

Bones threw a surprised look at her: “You know?”

“I believe I do.”

“Well it must be big. Jim looks like he just got laid.”

T’Pring considered this hypothesis, then shrugged: “It is likely.”

“What?!” cried Bones with horror. “Oh, no, please tell me he didn’t sleep with you because he needed a pointy-eared substitute.”

“Captain Kirk and myself did not have any sexual intercourse” said T’Pring slightly offended.

Bones almost collapsed with relief. T’Pring nearly rolled her eyes in front of such reaction. Then she turned her attention back towards the set, placed a stone which led her to the encirclement of one of McCoy’s stones, took it, and then declared:

“I can deduce from you previous choice of words that you are aware of Captain Kirk’s regard toward Spock.”

Bones froze: “What?”

“You asked me to be ‘nice’ toward the Captain when you had discovered the bond between Spock and myself. And you had just used the colloquialism ‘pointy-eared substitute’. You are not subtle, Doctor.”

McCoy muttered something which suspiciously resembled “ _Fuck you_ ”, but T’Pring ignored him and continued:

“Therefore I assume I may share with you my assumptions. I do believe Spock and his Captain have begun a romantic relationship.”

McCoy opened eyes wide as saucers and was speechless for almost ten seconds. Then he squealed: “ _What_?!”

“You seem to be very monosyllabic while surprised”, noted T’Pring. “It is your move.”

“Damnit! I don’t care! How did this damn computer end up with Jim? He….” Then McCoy seemed to understand, and his eyes widened as he pointed an accusing finger toward T’Pring. “You had discovered it and told Spock!”

“I have discovered the Captain’s interest”, admitted T’Pring, “but only after having discovered Spock’s regards toward him.”

“So the pointy-eared bastard has feelings after all?”

T’Pring threw McCoy a dark look, and the doctor raised his hand in a surrendering gesture: “Okay, okay, he has. Well, towards Jim at least. I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he only blows a fuse when Jim is involved…”

“Indeed.”

There was a brief silence, then McCoy grinned: “So, let me put it straight. You, Spock’s fiancée, had played Cupid for Jim and your betrothed?”

“Please do not compare me to a love allegory.”

Bones busted out laughing. “You are a freaking genius!”

T’Pring raised a confused eyebrow, but nevertheless accepted the compliment. Still chucking and sometimes shaking his head with incredulity, McCoy resumed their game. He mumbled non-stop things about ‘this damn hobgoblin’, but his huge grin and the amusement radiant from him contradicted his words.

Interesting.

“We have arrived at the meeting place”, chimed the communicator. “Lieutenant-Commander T’Pring required on transporter room.”

“I must go” said T’Pring, raising from her seat. “But you would have lost this game.”

“That’s what you think”, grumbled McCoy who was standing up too.

They walked together towards the transporter room, arguing about Go, and McCoy still radiating satisfaction. T’Pring suspected him of knowing Kirk’s feelings and wanting him to go out with Spock probably for a very long time. In a way, it was funny.

T’Pring was waited for by more people that she had thought. There were Kirk, Spock and Scotty, but also her new acquaintances from the Security Department. She nodded politely towards them (McCoy whispered something into Jim’s ear, and the Captain flushed crimson), then said:

“I thank you again for your help and your welcome.”

“We’re gonna miss our amazing training”, smiled Cupcake.

His friends agreed, and T’Pring felt a warm and also awkward feeling while saying goodbye to them. She would miss them, too. All of them, even McCoy. Kirk smiled brightly to her, and told her she would be welcome aboard any time. T’Pring was surprised to feel a certain fondness toward the Captain. He was very kind.

Eventually she faced Spock. He seemed more relaxed than the previous day. He offered her the Ta’al, and said in Vulcan: 

“Your guidance has been acknowledged and will be followed.”

“It is pleasing to hear”, almost-smiled T’Pring after a brief glance to Kirk. She fixed her eyes on Spock, and offered him the _Ta’al_ : “Peace and long life, Spock. I wish you, for lack of a better term… Happiness.”

“Thank you”, replied Spock while making the _Ta’al_ too. “Live long and prosper, T’Pring.”

She nodded, before she stepped onto the transporter platform. There was a short countdown, and the she was beamed to the _USS Traveler_ , and appeared on the transporter room.

 Admiral Peters was waiting for her, and smiled slightly when she said to her: “Welcome back, Lieutenant-Commander.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

Peters indicated her to follow, and they walked side by side toward the bridge. Then the Admiral threw her a look, raising an eyebrow:

“How was your time on the Enterprise?”

“It was… Instructive.”

“Instructive”, repeated Peters. “God, did you traumatize them?”

T’Pring only smiled.

 

Onboard of the Enterprise, Kirk was taking back his place in the Captain’s chair. He was grinning like a moron, and McCoy snorted with disgust in front of so much silliness. But he didn’t say anything, and after a brief glance toward Spock, just left.

He needed to take a holographic proof, because the damn hobgoblin seemed just as stupid as Jim at this time.


End file.
